Aging In Place

12/20/2018 | By Terri L. Jones

Undecorating … bah humbug!


Because tearing down all the signs of the holiday season isn’t much fun – maybe even a little depressing – you may find yourself tossing everything in a huge jumbled pile in the storage closet after New Year’s and quickly pulling the door shut until next year. Here are some clever ways to quickly organize holiday decorations – that jumble of Santas, stockings, and strings of lights – to make holiday decorating so much easier next year!

Storing Strings of Things

How tempting it is to pull those lights, beads and garland off the tree or mantle and simply throw them in a bin until next Christmas! Instead of ending up with a tangled mess, organize holiday decorations by winding the strings of things around your arm and then securing the bundles using zip-ties or even elastic hair bands. Another practical strategy is to coil the strings of lights or garland into the bottom of buckets.

Bins Are Best

Bins are a holiday decorator’s secret weapon, and one of the absolute best ways to organize holiday decorations. Plus, they allow you to organize categories of items together for easy retrieval and conveniently stack the bins to save space. But forget about the red and green, holiday-themed tubs and head for the clear ones instead. Clear bins give you a clear view of what’s inside, so you don’t have dig through bin after bin exactly what you need. To store breakable items, like glass balls, invest in an organizer box with dividers and a lid for easy stacking.

No Melting or Mildewing

If you want your treasured decorations to last for years to come, make sure to store them properly. For example, avoid packing away fabric items like tablecloths, tree skirts and whatnot in a damp environment, and definitely don’t wrap these items in plastic, which can trap moisture and cause them to mildew. Your refrigerator is an especially good place to keep your collection of Christmas candles. However, if you don’t have the extra real estate in the fridge, wrap them in cellophane to prevent melting together or transferring color and find a cool spot for storage.

Holiday Decorating in a Small Senior Living Space

Document It

If your mantle or lawn is particularly beautiful this year, take a photo of your masterpiece and then store that collection of decorations together in a single bin with your photo taped to the outside. It’ll be easier to reproduce that masterpiece next year or give you the starting point for the next one!

Terri L. Jones

Terri L. Jones has been writing educational and informative topics for the senior industry for over 10 years, and is a frequent and longtime contributor to Seniors Guide.

Terri Jones